OHL 2011 draft review

By Andrew Sykes

July 23rd, 2011

Photo: Taken second overall, Gabriel Landeskog was the highest drafted OHLer in 2011. (Photo courtesy of Ken McKenna/HF)

Once again the OHL proved that it is one of, if not the best developmental league for aspiring professional hockey players. With 46 players selected at the 2011 NHL Draft, the league enjoyed it’s best draft performance since 1999 when a record 52 players were taken from OHL clubs. Of the 101 CHL players selected, the OHL chipped in 46 percent of that total demonstrating the overwhleming talent that resides in Canada’s most populated region.The league’s excellence was no more apparent than in the first round when 11 OHL prospects were taken within the draft’s first 30 selections. The Oshawa Generals spearheaded the Ontario assault with five dratees, while Plymouth, Saginaw, and Sault Ste. Marie each saw four of their players on the draft board. Coincedentally it was the province’s Capital that proved to be the most eager team at grabbing Ontario born players as the Toronto Maple Leafs went on to take four OHLers, including St. Michael’s defenseman Stuart Percy whom they took with their first-round, 25th overall pick.

The first OHL player to hear his name called on draft day was Kitchener Rangers captain Gabriel Landeskog who became the highest Swedish-born player to be taken in the NHL draft since Daniel Sedin was also drafted as the 2nd overall pick in 1999. Landeskog now joins another former top draft pick Matt Duchene as the newest member of the rebuilding Colorado Avalanche.

With the fifth-overall pick in the draft, the New York Islanders added to their rapidly increasing group of young talent by selecting Ryan Strome, a slick center who had a phenomenal season with the Niagara IceDogs. Two picks later the excitement was high as the newly formed Winnipeg Jets took to the podium for their first draft selection, marking the new Jets era and they didn’t dissapoint. The NHL’s newest franchise made the first real surprise pick of the draft by tabbing Barrie Colts center Mark Scheifele as their first round, seventh overall selection.

The rest of the first round featured two highly-touted defensemen; Doug Hamilton from the Niagara IceDogs and Ryan Murphy from the Kitchener Rangers. The stanley cup champion Boston Bruins took the 6’4 Hamilton while the Carolina Hurricanes were estatic when the diminutive but incredibly gifted Murphy fell to them at 12th overall. OHLers were then taken with six of the final 10 picks in the first round, highlighted by the Ottawa Senators who selected Plymouth Whaler Stefan Noesen and Peterborough Petes sniper Matt Puempel at 21st and 24th overall respectively.

The second-round saw eight more OHL prospects go a round later then they may have originally expected. Boone Jenner, Alexander Khokhlachev and Brandon Saad were thought to have a good chance at going in the first-round but were forced to wait a little longer; largely due to the depth of talent in this year’s draft, particularly up front at the forward positions.

Remarkably, the third-round equalled the first with another 11 players having their NHL draft dreams come true. A few years ago the Buffalo Sabers were rewarded for taking a chance on 5’5 Nathan Gerbe and they will now hope that sault Ste. Marie speedster Daniel Catenacci can continue to prove that good things can come in small packages. The third-round also saw the first OHL goaltender get taken when the St. Louis Blues selected Jordan Binnington from the OHL champion Owen Sound Attack. Binnington would later be joined by teammates Andrew Shaw (Chicago 5th round, 139rd overall) and Andrew Fritsch (Phoenix 6th round, 155th overall) giving the Attack a trio of 2011 draftees.

Other notables include Oshawa left-winger Nicklas Jensen going to the Vancouver Canucks as their first-round choice following their lengthy cup run, Jensen’s linemate Lucas Lessio in the second-round to Phoenix, skilled German center Tobias Rieder to Edmonton in the fouth-round, and imposing winger David Broll went to Toronto in the 6th round.